Ratio and Percent Word Problems

A ratio is a comparison of any two quantities. It can be written as
a to b, a: b or a/b.
Percent is a ratio. Percent
should be viewed as a part-to-whole ratio that compares a number to a
whole divided into 100 equal parts.

In these lessons, we will learn how to solve ratio word problems and how to use ratios to help us solve percent word problems.

Some of the strategies that we can use to solve ratio word problems are:
1) Table with addition
2) Table with multiplication
3) Double number lines
4) Tape diagrams
5) Graphing
Related Topics:Introduction to Ratios

Ratio Word Problems

Using Table with Addition

In this lesson you will learn to solve for missing values in a ratio problem by setting up a table with addition using additive reasoning. We can also solve the problem by setting up a table with multiplication using multiplicative reasoning.
Andy has a ratio of books to DVD of 3:2 in his room. If he has 15 books, how many DVDs does he have?

In this lesson you will learn to solve ratio problems by using tables and addition.
To make yummy fruit punch, use 2 cups of grape juice for every 3 cups of apple juice. If you already have 12 cups of apple juice, how many cups of grape juice would you need to make the fruit punch?

Using Table with Multiplication

In this lesson you will learn to solve for missing values in a ratio problem by using a table and multiplicative reasoning.

In this lesson you will learn to solve ratio problems by using tables and multiplication.

Using Double Number Lines

In this lesson you will learn to solve for missing values in a ratio problem by setting up a double number line. We can use either addition or multiplication.
Andy has a ratio of books to DVD of 3:2 in his room. If he has 15 books, how many DVDs does he have?

In this lesson you will learn to solve ratio problems by using double number lines.

Using Tape Diagram

In this lesson you will learn to solve ratio problems by using a tape diagram.

In this lesson you will learn to solve ratio problems using all the four strategies: Table with Addition, Table with Multiplication, Double Number Line, Tape Diagram, Graphing
To make chocolate chop cookies, use 4 cups of flour for every 3 cups of chocolate chips. If Charlie used 12 cups of flour, how many cups of chocolate chips will he need to use?

Using Graphs

In this lesson you will learn to graph ratios on a coordinate plane by setting up a table.

In this lesson you will learn to solve ratio problems by graphing on a coordinate plane.

Percents and Ratios

In this lesson you will learn to define percents by using ratios.

In this lesson you will learn to visualize percents by using 10x10 grids.

In this lesson you will learn to compare ratios by using ratio tables and percents.
Susan correctly answered 21 out of 25 questions on her history quiz. On her science quiz she correctly answered 17 out of 20 questions. On which quiz did she do better?

Percent Word Problems

In this lesson you will learn to calculate the part when you know the percent and the total by using a double number line.
In the mall parking lot, 60% of the cars are blue. If there are 300 cars in the parking lot, how many are blue?

In this lesson you will learn to calculate the total when you know the percent and the part by using a double number line.
In the mall parking lot, 60% of the cars are blue. If there are 240 blue cars in the parking lot, what is the total number of cars?

In this lesson you will learn to solve percent problems by using a ratio table.
In the mall parking lot, 60% of the cars are blue. If there are 300 cars in the parking lot, how many are blue?

Rotate to landscape screen format on a mobile phone or small tablet to use the Mathway widget, a free math problem solver that answers your questions with step-by-step explanations.

You can use the free Mathway calculator and problem solver below to practice Algebra or other math topics. Try the given examples, or type in your own problem and check your answer with the step-by-step explanations.

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